Professional headshot of Essie Bent, LPC-R, resident in counseling. Specialist in therapy for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. Virtual therapy in Virginia.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Meet Essie Bent, MEd

Therapist for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC in Virginia

Licensed Resident in Counseling – Read More

My Certifications

Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) – Evergreen

Offering Sessions In-Office in Burke, VA & Virtually to Clients in Virginia

Support for LGBTQ+ & A Voice for BIPOC

My passion to pursue a career in therapy began through advocacy work for disenfranchised communities such as the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC demographics. Growing up in an impoverished area, I understand the need for mental health advocacy and how the absence can negatively affect an entire community.

The acknowledgement of barriers out of our control that lead to a lack of resources such as counseling is important to challenge and change. I am dedicated to working through difficult experiences both past and present with my clients by being there with compassion and listening ears. Therapy can work for anyone who is willing to be open and vulnerable and my goal is to create a setting that will make this easy for my clients to achieve.

I help people overcome systemic obstacles.

There are many obstacles we face and some we try to face alone. The barriers we may combat to self advocate may be cultural, social, economic, or environmental. I want to be a part of dismantling suffering in silence and change the stigma attached to mental health in all communities, especially the BIPOC community. Through my intersectional lens, I highlight the many identities my clients have in a means to advocate for each separately and collaboratively.

You deserve a space for healing.

Every person deserves a space for healing and I would like to be a guide on your therapeutic journey that will be tailored to your specific needs. With a psychoanalytic therapeutic approach, I believe we must understand our past in order to dissect our present. Getting to know where your trauma stems from will allow you to acknowledge mental and emotional obstacles that we all face daily.

I’m here to help you find your voice. I hear you.

I work with individuals, families, and couples who may struggle with anxiety, depression, life transitions, cultural identity, trauma, stress, and relationship issues. My intersectional and advocacy driven therapeutic lens also makes me a good fit for the queer and ethical non monogamous community. Healing is for everyone and I hope to inspire my clients to know that they are worthy of revitalizing through unlearning and relearning as a means to heal.

My Specialties

  • Couples & Family Counseling (ages 15+)
  • Cultural Identity

My Qualifications

My Education

  • Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Mason University
  • Bachelor’s in Psychology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

My Fees

My Supervisors

My Recent Blog Posts